With the hotly anticipated new James Bond movie No Time To Die just around the corner, fans are getting ready to say goodbye to Daniel Craig who will play the character for the very last time.
The film has reignited the long-standing debate about who might portray the spy once the English actor will step down from the coveted role. Idris Elba, recently seen in The Suicide Squad, is among those fans would love to see as 007, alongside the likes of Gentleman Jack star Suranne Jones and Killing Eve co-protagonist Jodie Comer, as well as MCU actress Lashana Lynch, who will appear in No Time To Die.
Idris Elba Is Too Old To Play 007 (Says Idris Elba)
While many believe Elba would be perfect for the role of the Vesper Martini and Aston Martin-loving Secret Service agent created by Ian Fleming, some think the English actor is "too old" to play 007.
"If it's a known actor, I'd have said Richard Madden, except he's in Eternals. Kinda want an actor who isn't well known. Lots of people will say Idris Elba, and he'd have been perfect 10 years ago, but now he's pushing 50 and imo is too old to be starting out as Bond," one 007 fan wrote on Twitter.
And they weren't alone in thinking that Elba, 49, might be a bit too old to portray the character. It seems that the discourse originated from an interview Elba gave in 2016 where he admitted being too old to play Bond.
At the time, the actor told ABC's Good Morning America: "I think I'm too old for that."
Fans Would Love To See Elba Take On The Role
Some fans, however, still think he would make a great job and the "too old for Bond" discourse doesn't make much sense.
"Idris Elba isn’t too old to play James Bond, he’s too black. Roger Moore was 58 when he played 007 in his 7th movie. So if being “too old” makes a terrible Bond, then that means Roger was awful," one person tweeted.
"Why are people saying Idris Elba is “too old” play Bond, and yet he’s 4 years younger than Daniel Craig?" was another comment.
While other interesting names have been thrown in the mix -- from Jones and Comer to Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker and Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page and even Star Wars alum John Boyega -- here's hoping the studios won't pick yet another white man.